There is something unequivocally good about feeding people. It’s the first thing we all turn to in times of crisis — Can we bring you dinner? Can I get you a coffee? — and it makes sense that when someone you know has a baby, you just want to make the best meal to take a new mom. Make she’s already got other kids and you want to take a great dinner to the whole family, or maybe you just want her to feel happy and cared for when you show up with a giant platter of hot, fluffy pancakes. (Yes, pancakes.)
But no matter what — the new families are tired of lasagna. Well, maybe not all new parents, but if you want a great meal to take a new family, it’s fun to think outside of the box. Chances are they’ve eaten every type of casserole out there (there are still a coupl eon this list), and they might even be exhausted from decision fatigue thanks to all the Uber Eats gift cards. But these meals to take a new mom include everything from freezer breakfast ideas, hearty lunches, and decadent desserts so she can have something that really tastes good and makes her feel good. I mean, what’s more delightful than a big pan of freshly baked brownies or fried tortellini bites?
You should also take dietary restrictions and allergies into consideration. If they’re vegetarian, they may be super tired of beans and rice, you know? So show up to see the baby or come by to keep her company and support her, but don’t come empty-handed. Here are some of the best meals to take a new mom — you’ll have just as much fun making them as she will eating them.
The Perfect Breakfast
Everyone always thinks about dinners, but what about a new mom breakfast? Those bleary early mornings would be made so much better by a breakfast casserole ready to heat up and eat ASAP. This is also a great choice if the new mom has a bunch of hungry other baby birds in the nest and needs something quick and filling to feed them.
A Flavorful Soup
Don’t be afraid of flavors! Taking a meal to a new parent doesn’t have to mean choosing bland flavors (although feel free to ask if something in particular isn’t great for her tummy) and it also doesn’t have to be a bunch of the same casseroles day in and day out. This lemon chicken orzo soup is so tangy and flavorful, and she can easily keep it warming all day and grab a new bowl whenever she’s hungry.
An Easy Crowd Favorite
If there’s a whole family to feed, maybe try these sheet pan fajitas featured on Yummly. You can bring a bunch of toppings and fixings, like tortillas nand cheese, and set up a whole “make your own fajitas” bar for her whole family so it’s really hands-off for her. (And delicious.)
A Sweet Snack
Snacks are the best when you’re just snuggling your newborn in those early weeks, and I think people forget how much they can mean to a new mom. If she has a sweet tooth, try making her a big batch of this 15-minute puppy chow. It’s perfect for cluster-feeding, for Netflix binges with a sleeping babe, or for her to grab a handful every time she walks through the kitchen.
The Best, Fluffiest Pancakes
Want to go see the new baby? Take a stack of these gorgeous pancakes featured on Yummly. Your meals don’t have to be ones you’ve prepped ahead or ones she can only eat for dinner — ask her if you can come by around 10 a.m., bring her favorite coffee order, some bacon, and a stack of these. Don’t forget the syrup and whipped cream.
A Bite-Sized Delicious Snack
Sure, you can gift a new mom just a giant basket of her favorite snacks, but I’m obsessed with the idea of a party tray full of these tortellini party snacks. They’re an easy crowd pleaser, bite-sized, and you can add in a bunch of different dipping sauces like marina, alfredo, or even just melted butter with herbs. She’ll so appreciate a platter of these just sitting at the table for her to munch on while you visit or while she binge watches TV during another feeding sesh.
Energy Bites That Taste Like Cake
Every new mom will tell you the same thing — feeding themselves is hard. Whether it’s dinner, breakfast, or just trying to find a snack to curb the hanger so she can take a nap, it can be tough to find something that’s appetizing, actually filling, and easy. Enter these raw, vegan carrot cake bites from Pinch of Yum. You can make a huge batch of them for her and she can freeze them for later or keep them in the fridge. They’re packed full of great ingredients like chia seeds and oatmeal, and they taste like legit carrot cake. So good, nutrient-dense, and easy.
A Comfort Food
Want to give her a big ol’ taste of comfort? Make these stuffed crust pizza snacks. These are so easy to make, and you can really play around with the fillings. She’ll appreciate how yummy and comforting they are, and she can enjoy them either as a heavy snack, a quick lunch, or a nice dinner (especially if you include a salad at drop-off).
The Taste Of Home
It doesn’t get much better than this perfect pot roast from Damn Delicious. Go ahead and pre-make it, keep it in the dutch oven, and when you drop it off, just pop it right back on her stove so it can warm back up. Her house will smell divine and she’ll feel legit cared for.
A Flavorful, Handheld Lunch
When I had my third daughter, I did OK with breakfast and dinner because I had two other big kids who needed me to make a meal, but I really struggled with lunch. I didn’t want my kids’ sandwiches and crackers, but I wanted something I could eat easily, that didn’t make a big mess, and that tasted good. That’s why I think these easy chicken gyros from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe are a great idea to make a new mom. You could either send her over all the fixings with the wraps and sauce separately, or go ahead and make them all, wrap them up in parchment paper, and deliver them to her when she needs them the most.
A Vegetarian Option
Minestrone soup is an absolutel classic. It’s hearty, it’s filling, it’s cozy, and it’s really not that hard to make. Bonus: this is a great option if the new mom in your life has lots of other mouths to feed and/or is vegetarian. This minestrone soup recipe featured on Yummly just has it all, and you can easily make it in a big pot to just reheat at your friend’s house, or divvy it up into containers so she can have a hot bowl of soup each day.
The Perfect One-Pot Meal
Want to make her something that lives in one pot, is filling, and can easily be doubled to feed a big family? Then you want to make this chicken broccoli and rice casserole from Averie Cooks. So cheesy, so delicious, and perfect for the new mom who’s got a bunch of other mouths to feed at the table.
A Decadent Snack
Look, moms deserve treats. They don’t always want a nutritious casserole or a big salad to nibble on while recovering from childbirth, and they deserve to eat whatever they want. Like these incredible glazed peanut butter bars from Half-Baked Harvest. Thick, creamy, and the perfect amount of ooey-gooey, these glazed peanut butter bars say “I love you and I’m here for you” in so many ways.
Another Super Easy & Filling Dinner
For a weeknight meal when she’s juggling soccer practice for her older kids and a fussy baby during the witching hour, there is this recipe for easy teriyaki meatballs. This is one you could easily freeze for her to make later, or whip up on a moment’s notice so she’s got a hot meal waiting for the whole family before bedtime.
Hearty & Healthy Turkey Chili
I must insist you make cornbread with this, but no matter what, a big pot of turkey chili is a great meal to take a new mom. It’s easy to reheat, it tastes great as leftovers, and if you bring a variety of toppings and accoutrements (like crackers, sour cream, and the aforementioned cornbread), she’ll really appreciate it.
Make-Ahead Handheld Breakfast
Breakfast is so hard when you’ve got a newborn. You’re sleep deprived, you can barely remember which day it is, and you’re hungry. So she doesn’t reach for the stale donuts someone dropped off five days ago, whip up a big batch of these freezer breakfast burritos featured on Yummly. She can reheat them each morning and have something full of sustenance and flavor before she’s even realized that she’s still tired.
A Pasta Dish Bursting With Flavor
OK, pasta is a pretty standard “Look! I Brought You A Meal!” dinner, but I am obsessed with this pesto gnocchi recipe featured on Yummly. It’s new, it’s different, and it just hits in a slightly better way than traditional pasta. Even if her other kids won’t eat it, she’ll appreciate something that just tastes delicious.
A Decadent Dessert
Who says a meal has to be practical for a new mom? Bring her something she’s going to absolutely love, something that’s just full of joy and happiness, like this pecan pie cheesecake from Sally’s Baking Addiction. It’s the perfect blend of creamy and crunchy, sweet and salty, and is a delightful way to welcome a new life into the world.
Dips Count As Meals
You know that move you do where you bounce a baby up against your chest and eat a snack with one hand, trying not to dribble food on your newborn’s head? OK, well that move was made for this Mexican 5-layer bean dip from A Spicy Perspective. It’s packed full of flavor, tons of textures, and it’s so thick, it’s the perfect dip for a one-handed scoop for the new mom trying to rock her baby to sleep and fix her hanger.
Muffins Bursting With Flavor
Look, a basket of muffins? Tired. But these banana coconut muffins from Cookie and Kate? Wired. So very wired. This is a great meal to make for a family that’s welcomed a baby and also has big kids at home — like what’s better than homemade muffins just ready to go in the house for snack time? But it’s also a great option for the new mom who needs a healthy, hearty, delicious snack for those 3 a.m. nursing sessions.
The Ultimate Cozy Meal
This is the meal a new mom wants to come home to: chicken pot pie with cheddar chive biscuits. So savory, so cozy, the ultimate stick-to-your-ribs dinner that will make her feel loved and cared for. (And will also feed her whole family.)
No matter what you take a new mom to eat, whether it’s a big bag of frozen pizzas for her to store or a loaf of homemade bread that’s still warm from the oven, it’s the thought that really counts. Be there for her, support her in whatever way you can, and keep her fed.
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